


All Things Considered

by carolej126, SueN, TeriH



Series: Storm [2]
Category: The Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: Gen, Magnificent Seven AU: ATF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-02-09 08:14:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18634282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carolej126/pseuds/carolej126, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SueN/pseuds/SueN, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeriH/pseuds/TeriH
Summary: Written by the Mod Squad (otherwise known as Carole, Sue, and Teri).Written for the VinList Complete Your Own Adventure Challenge, with all stories in the series using the same opening but then splitting off in various directions.





	All Things Considered

_The day had dawned bright and clear, the warm southern breeze a promise of summer which loomed just around the corner. But as was often the case in the last few weeks what was promised was not to be.  By midmorning the sky was dotted with wispy clouds.  By noon the wind had changed and blew from the west carrying with it the familiar odor of rain as dark clouds gathered on the horizon.  By midafternoon the sun was being obscured by the approaching storm front, and with it the warmth of its rays, the rumble of thunder growing ever louder. With the first flash of lightning Chris motioned toward the nearby structure._

_Vin and Ezra did not have to be told twice and ran toward the relative safety found within the building as the storm built around them.  Chris brought up the rear and prepared to pull the door shut behind them as a gust of wind yanked it from his grasp and slammed it against the outer wall before flying closed with a resounding bang.  Before there could be a repeat performance Chris slid the latch into place._

_Vin watched dust devils dance merrily across the floor as the wind whistled through cracks in the walls and under the door.   Then, suddenly there was a flash of light and a resounding **crack** , followed by the booming rumble of thunder loud enough to rattle the walls._

_“We can hazard a guess that the old oak in the meadow took a direct strike,” Ezra stated to no one in particular. “I wonder how Buck and JD are faring?”_

_Chris nodded his agreement.  “Buck sure picked a hell of a day to show JD his favorite fishing hole.”_

_As the first ping of rain hit the tin roof Ezra moved toward the center of the building, leaned against one of the structure’s wooden support poles, and casually picked a piece of lint from the cuff of his shirt as the three settled in to wait out the storm._

__

*******

__

Within moments the ping of rain on the roof took on a new dimension.  Inside the barn it sounded as if some demented demon was playing a drum solo above their heads. 

__

“What the…” 

__

“Hail,” Vin explained to Ezra as he leaned back against a bale of hay and tipped his hat over his eyes.  “Best jest wait it out.”  

__

“But the Jag…” Ezra sputtered as he headed for the door.

__

“That’s what insurance is for,” Chris reached out and grabbed the man by the arm, “besides, it’s already too late at this point.” 

__

Ezra’s moan was drowned out as the pounding grew consistently louder.   

__

The horses whickered and stomped in their stalls but as a whole seemed to remain calm as the hail appeared to let up.  Then another resounding boom of thunder shook the structure and the heavens opened as the sound of a torrential downpour could be heard.  

__

“It would appear that someone has royally pissed off Mother Nature.”  

__

“Quit your griping it could be worse, you could be out in that mess.  Now deal out that deck I know you’re carrying.”  Chris straddled a bale of hay and waved a hand motioning for Ezra to sit.  “We can play some Gin Rummy to pass the time while Rumpelstiltskin, over there, gets his beauty sleep.”   

__

Vin reacted to Chris’ comment with a hand-motion of his own.  

__

******* 

__

JD and Buck sat huddled under an overhang of rock as the storm raged around them.  The wind continued to whip rain upon the two thoroughly drenched men.   

__

“Come on, JD you’ll love it….Best fishing hole around, he says,” JD muttered.  

__

_“He_ is right here.  And it is the best fishing hole in the state.  Not my fault it decided to rain.  Weather gal only said a twenty percent chance this morning.”  

“I have my doubts it was her weather map you were looking at, Buck.” 

“I will agree that the station might have hired her more for her ability to boost the ratings than for her weather forecasting abilities, but you have to agree that she is one fine looking filly.”

“Well that ‘fine looking filly’ isn’t going to get our camping gear back,” JD groused. 

“Come on JD, look at the bright side, we could have been _in_ the truck when that tree fell.”  

“Buck, you are so full of it!”  

JD tried to keep his face stern but it was a losing battle. 

*******

“Gin!” 

“Shit!” 

“That is three dollars and seventy-five cents you owe me, Chris.” 

“Nobody can be that lucky!” 

Vin chuckled. 

“Finally decided to join the living?” 

“Who can sleep with ya ol’ ladies bickerin’?”  Vin rose and moved to open the door as handfuls of hay were tossed in his wake.  “Sounds like the storm’s passed.” 

Chris’ phone chimed as the men stood surveying the damage beyond their sanctuary. 

“Larabee.” 

“Chris, didn’t Buck say he and JD were headed toward Eldorado Canyon this weekend?”   

Chris felt a pang of dread at the urgency in Josiah’s tone.

*******

“I don’t think it’s much farther,” Nathan commented, peering through the heavy rainfall in an attempt to recognize any landmarks.  Eldorado Canyon, an expansive recreation area known for hiking, riding (horse, bike, or otherwise) and fishing, was normally only an hour or so drive from Denver.  But due to the adverse weather conditions, it had already taken the two men nearly three hours, and as far as he could tell, they still had another mile or two to go.

“It’ll still take us a while at this rate,” Josiah answered, slowing down long enough to check carefully for oncoming traffic before deftly maneuvering his car around yet another large branch that had fallen across the road. 

“I know,” Nathan began, only to fish his cell phone out of his pocket at the sound of a familiar musical score.  “It’s Chris again,” he said, glancing at the screen.

“Our brother’s a mite worried,” Josiah commented, only sparing Nathan a quick glance before returning his attention to the debris-covered road. 

“It’s slow going, but we’re almost there.”  Nathan listened for a few minutes, and then turned to Josiah.  “They’ve still got some clean-up to do before they can leave, so they’re gonna meet us up at the campgrounds.”

“Tell them to take SR 26,” Josiah suggested, “it’ll be faster.”

Nathan nodded.  “Josiah said-“  He paused.  “Right.  Okay, we’ll call as soon as we know anything.” 

Josiah tightened his grip on the steering wheel as the wind picked up yet again.  With the damage they’d already seen along the way, he’d be willing to bet that the storm had already produced a small tornado.  And he certainly didn’t want to be out and about if another one dropped from the sky.   

“I’m gonna try Buck again.” 

“Nothing?” Josiah asked a few seconds later. 

Nathan just shook his head in defeat.  “Went straight to voice mail again.”    

*******

“You won’t need your cell phone, JD, not down by the fishing hole, he says,” JD sighed after several minutes of silence. 

“ _He_ is still here,” Buck reminded the younger man.  “And we didn’t need our cell phones, not for fishing.”

“But we’re not fishing,” JD grumbled.  “We’re freezing our butts off, out here in the rain.  And our phones are probably ruined anyway.  ‘Just leave ‘em in the glove box, JD.  They’ll be fine.’”  He snorted.  “Last time I saw your truck, there was a tree in the front seat.”

Buck rolled his eyes, looking toward heaven, apparently appealing for patience.  

“And our camping gear’s probably ruined, too,” JD continued, using his water-logged sleeve in an attempt to wipe the rain out of his eyes.

“Pfft…” Buck snorted.  “Next time I decide to go fishing, I’m taking that weather gal with me instead.  I’d be a lot more comfy cozying up to her about now.”

JD shook his head, unable to hide his grin.  “Whatever, Buck.”

******* 

 _"Finally,"_ Chris muttered as he turned out of the driveway and headed toward SR 26.

In reality, the clean-up hadn't taken long. A check of the property had revealed just one broken window, a couple split fence rails and several large tree limbs blown down in the yard.

The barn had escaped undamaged and the overhead electrical cables were secure and safe. It could, Vin observed, have been a lot worse.

Gazing at his hail-battered Jag, Ezra had felt inclined to disagree but decided against voicing his opinion in the face of Chris's impatience to "get things done and get moving".

With the window boarded up, the horses settled, fed and watered and the tree limbs dragged to what Ezra considered a safe distance from his car, they were now on their way.

Bracing himself as Chris swung the truck onto the highway, Vin pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. 

*******

"There's the turn, just up ahead," Nathan pointed, as his cell phone chimed another familiar tune.

"Vin," he announced, checking the screen.

"I imagine they're on their way," Josiah smiled as he slowed for the turn onto the track that led into the canyon.

"Yeah, we just arrived." Nathan nodded in response to whatever Vin was saying. "Okay, we'll head for the fishing hole. Tell Chris to drive safe."

Josiah chuckled as Nathan ended the call.

"Your advice is likely to fall on deaf ears, brother."

"Doesn't hurt to try." Nathan shrugged. "Vin thinks Buck would have headed for the north campsite, closest to the fishing hole."

"Then that's where we'll start," Josiah agreed, happily turning off the wipers as the rain finally stopped. 

*******

"We'll just shelter a while ... won't take long for the storm to blow through, he says," JD grouched as he splashed through another puddle.

" _He_ is _still_ here," Buck retorted. "And the storm _has_ blown through. Look, the sun's comin' out!"

"It's gonna take more than a bit of sunshine to dry this out," JD waved his arm at the waterlogged, tree strewn ground. "And we're soaked too... and where are our dry clothes?"

Rounding a bend in the trail, JD pulled up. Buck's truck sat in the middle of a small lake, crushed beneath an uprooted tree that had landed squarely on the hood and toppled onto the roof.

If anything, it looked worse than when they'd left it and JD's irritation evaporated as he saw the crestfallen look on his friend's face.

"I'm sorry about the truck," he said softly.

"Hell," Buck replied, with a shrug. "That's what insurance is for."

"Yeah, but you didn't need to be hearin' me complainin' all the while."

"Complainin'?" Buck feigned surprise. "You been complainin'?"

"Yeah." JD grinned. "But I'm not gonna do it anymore."

"Well, alrighty." Buck returned the grin. "Now, let's go find a phone an' see if we can't get us a ride home."

******* 

Colorado SR 26 had proven relatively debris free, having been out of the direct path of what was now being classified an F1 tornado by the local radio station, so the black Ram had made good time.  However traffic seemed to bog down the closer they got to the Eldorado Canyon Recreational area turn off and they had been unable to contact Nathan or Josiah for the past thirty minutes.

Chris pulled to a stop at a road block that had been hastily erected by the main entrance as an unsuspecting county deputy approached the vehicle.

“Sorry folks, no sightseers allowed.  You’ll have to…”

“Larabee, ATF.”  Chris flashed his badge and motioned to the makeshift barrier.  “Move it.”

“Yes, sir.”  The deputy stumbled back, wide-eyed.

Ezra jumped from the truck and offered to help the shaken young man in his attempt to move the barrier.  The agent had seen tougher men crumble under the Larabee glare.

“Nice, Cowboy, scaring the local yokels ain’t gonna win us no favors.”

Chris drove the Ram through the opening and waited impatiently as Ezra helped replace the barrier and quickly shook the deputy’s hand before running back to the truck.

“Well?”

“Thus far no fatalities have been reported and only minor injuries.  There was some minor wind damage at the main campground just ahead.  It is being used as the staging area.”

“What ain’t ya saying, Ez?”

“It would appear the north campsite bore the major brunt of the storm.  The road to which has been washed out in more than one location and some flooding has occurred due to the heavy rainfall.”

“Ah hell.”

An ominous silence fell over the vehicle as they approached the main campground.

“If this is their idea of minor…”  Ezra’s sentence trailed off as they absorbed the circus-like atmosphere before them.  Emergency lights flashed and a television crew was set up in front of a downed tree.

“Wait, isn’t that Josiah’s car?” 

Chris pulled behind the vehicle and the men jumped out as Vin hit speed dial.

The lyrical notes of the Hallelujah Chorus played off to their left. 

“Josiah!” Vin yelled, seeing Josiah less than fifty feet away and the three men moved to join him.

“Report,” Chris snapped.

“They’re fine, Chris.  Nathan’s with them.  They’re wet, cold and tired but otherwise fine.  Nathan and I ran into them about a mile down the road leading to the north campground.  They were helping a group of scouts that had gotten stuck out in the storm.  Buck looked like the damn Pied Piper with JD bringing up the rear keeping an eye on the stragglers.”

“But where are they now?”

“KUSA-TV’s here covering the storm.  That new weather gal was about to interview Buck.”

“Where’s his truck?”

Josiah grinned.  “Seems Brother Buck’s truck is currently doing an imitation of a pontoon boat with a Ponderosa pine serving as both hood ornament and anchor.”

Vin gave Ezra a knowing smirk and Standish nodded in agreement.  Yes, all things considered, it could have been worse.

 


End file.
